Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger!

Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger! For some reason, those words from the old SNL skit with John Belusi keep running through my mind. Maybe it's because I am also constantly thinking "phone bank, phone bank, phone bank." The OFA Lake Nona team has weekly phone banks scheduled through the end of July. We are also set for a big voter registration event at an alternative high school with about 400 students. This afternoon we start planning our canvassing drive, including a push to sign up people to vote by mail.

Perhaps I should eat more cheeseburgers to give me the energy to get through the next four months. My usual diet of yogurt, salads, veggies and dip may not do the trick. I am having a meeting this afternoon at Dunkin' Donuts; a good donut is my answer to almost any stressful situation. I'll go back to a sensible diet after we re-elect President Obama.

Afraid to Take Me On

Was it my charisma? My substantial war chest? My track record of success in representing the precinct? Whatever the reason, no one challenged me for Precinct 431 captain. Unopposed, I will automatically take my position in December in the newly redrawn precinct 431 in Lake Nona. So as not to confuse the many loyal followers of this blog, the name will remain Dispatches from Precinct 437. Four more years!

New Life. New Hope. New Commitment.

It was about 4 in the afternoon when the first message arrived. I had just returned from Publix with snacks and drinks for the OFA team meeting I was hosting in my apartment at 7. My older nephew told me that my niece had gone into labor and the family was gathering at Winnie Palmer hospital. What to do? Leave a sign on the door for the expected 10 - 12 people, saying "Sorry! Meeting Cancelled)? Carry on with the meeting, knowing that my pacing the hospital waiting room would not aid the delivery?

I stayed. My nephew sent me bulletins on the progress of labor as I put out the sign-in lists and pens and the plate of raw veggies and dip. Then, when just a few people had arrived, the big text: Sebastian was born at 6:39 p.m.! I shared that joyous news as the meeting got under way. The texts kept coming - birth weight (6 lbs, 14 oz), pictures of the proud new mom and dad holding their precious son. I passed my phone with the pictures around the room, and everyone graciously declared my grandnephew adorable and expressed their good wishes.

As the diverse group in my living room told their stories of why they supported President Obama, I knew I had made the right decision to host the meeting and to work for the President's re-election. I want Sebastian and his cousin Gisela to grow up in a country with outstanding public education, a vital economy, clean water and air, and a commitment to justice and equal opportunity for all. Welcome to the Lake Nona team, Sebastian! This is all about you.